US Secretary of State Antony Blinken promised Friday to work with Iraq to ensure no resurgence of the Islamic State group after Bashar al-Assad’s overthrow in neighboring Syria.
On a regional tour devoted to a suddenly changed Syria, the top US diplomat flew to Baghdad from the Turkish capital Ankara and headed into talks with Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani.
Blinken said he told Sudani of “our commitment to working with Iraq on security and always working for Iraq’s sovereignty, to make sure that that is strengthened and preserved”.
“I think this is a moment as well for Iraq to reinforce its sovereignty as well as its stability, security, and success going forward,” Blinken said.
He added that “no one knows the importance” more than Iraq of stability in Syria and avoiding the resurgence of Islamic State group (IS) jihadists, also known by the Arabic acronym Daesh.
“We are determined to make sure that Daesh cannot re-emerge,” Blinken said.
“The United States (and) Iraq, together had tremendous success in taking away the territorial caliphate that Daesh had created years ago.”
The Islamic State group (IS) overran large swathes of Iraq and neighboring Syria in 2014, proclaiming its “caliphate” and launching a reign of terror.
It was defeated in Iraq in 2017 by Iraqi forces backed by a US-led military coalition, and in 2019 lost the last territory it held in Syria to US-backed Kurdish forces.
Iraq is keen to prevent any spread of chaos from Syria, where on Sunday Islamist-led rebels toppled the five-decade rule of the Assad dynasty following a lightning offensive.
Sudani, in his meeting with Blinken, “underscored the necessity of ensuring the representation of all components of the Syrian people in managing the country to bolster its stability,” Sudani’s office said.
He stressed Iraq “expects tangible actions, not just words” from Syria’s transitional authorities, and “emphasized the importance of preventing any aggression on Syrian territories by any party”.
After taking a helicopter into central Baghdad, Blinken also complimented Iraq on a construction boom, saying it showed growing success.
Iraq’s government has urged respect for the “free will” of all Syrians and the country’s territorial integrity after Assad’s fall.
The deposed Syrian leader hailed from a rival faction of the Baath party of Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein, ousted in a 2003 US-led invasion.
